Taylor Backus

“She made zoom so engaging for the students! She would joke and have fun with the kiddos while teaching them what they needed to know. Not only did my daughter get where she needed to be, she’s excelled this year and I really lay that on Ms. Backus! She gave mini breaks for their minds, which I think was key for my daughter. She worked through any problem with them and treated this group of 1st graders with a tremendous amount of respect. She’d answer every obscure question they had and let them guide her to their likes for projects, writing, and art. In group testing, she’d mention each kiddo as their answer was received and gave them mini, fun workouts to do while they were waiting for all the other students to finish that question. Now we all do “imma stars” and I hate them! Haha. But she got my daughter out of her seat and moving every single opportunity she could, which is so huge for kids sitting and staring at a screen all day. I’ve enjoyed getting to know her more personally and she deserves recognition for being a truly outstanding educator!”

submitted by Ashley Jones

“Ms. Backus is a kind, caring, and fun-loving teacher! She is always in good spirits and makes the school day both educational and entertaining. Needless to say, there have been numerous challenges this past year due to distance learning, and Ms. Backus has conquered them all with flying colors. I’m still amazed that she was able to capture and hold my 1st grader’s attention throughout all of the zoom classes. Thank you, Ms. Backus, for a job well done!”

submitted by Dana Gerritsen